Category: Press Releases

Evident, Corista, Sakura Finetek USA and Visiopharm team up to drive quality and efficiency in pathology

WALTHAM, Mass., (Sept. 19, 2023)—Evident announced an alliance with Corista, Sakura Finetek USA and Visiopharm to deliver an automated, end-to-end workflow solution for pathology in the USA. Together, the scientific leaders will combine their technologies to streamline the workflow of staining, imaging, and analyzing whole slide images with the collaboration and management needed in today’s high-volume laboratories.

Demand for efficient pathology and quality control of sample handling has increased in recent years. The collaboration of these technology leaders supports customers in their transition to a digital workflow by combining histopathology, digital pathology, and computational pathology.

Evident and Corista, leaders in image management solutions, previously developed a high-end scanner with a modern image management system that leverages Visiopharm’s image analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) toolset. Sakura Finetek USA and Evident have also collaborated, delivering an automated staining and whole slide imaging workflow to reduce manual tasks across pathology labs in clinical and life science organizations.

“The alliance of these four companies will help drive the adoption of a fully automated pathology system across laboratories,” said Lee Wagstaff, the Vice President of Life Science Sales and Marketing at Evident Americas. “We look forward to supporting our mutual customers with a complete end-to-end digital pathology solution to drive efficiency and reduce manual tasks as pathology testing volume ramps up.”

“Supporting pathology laboratories in driving better patient outcomes that are sustainable and effective is at the heart of what we do,” said Corista CEO Elizabeth Wingard. “This alliance will help our customers with better collaboration across their consulting and analysis workflows.” 

“Working together will help move computational pathology to the forefront through a scalable and integrated system,” said Visiopharm CEO Michael Grunkin. “Our AI-driven precision pathology software integrated with our partners’ technology yields more effective, robust performance that reduces manual workflows and time-consuming tasks.”

“We are excited to offer customers the ability to enhance patient care with an end-to-end automated workflow,” added Patrick Devor, the Vice President of Sales at Sakura Finetek USA, Inc. “This alliance will enable us to increase the level of automation across histopathology, drive quality, and reduce turnaround time, which has been a goal of Sakura Finetek since 1870.”

About Evident

At Evident, we are guided by the scientific spirit—innovation and exploration are at the heart of what we do. Committed to making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling, we support our customers with solutions that solve their challenges and advance their work; whether it’s researching medical breakthroughs, inspecting infrastructure, or exposing hidden toxins in consumer products.

Evident Life Science empowers scientists and researchers through collaboration and cutting-edge life science solutions. Dedicated to meeting the challenges and supporting the evolving needs of its customers, Evident Life Science advances a comprehensive range of microscopes for pathology, hematology, IVF and other clinical applications as well as for research and education.

For more information, visit EvidentScientific.com.

About Corista

Corista delivers the industry’s most extensive array of workflow, analytical and collaborative tools for pathology. Medical centers can seamlessly integrate with LIS/EHRs in a unified digital environment of whole slide, gross and static pathology images. Physicians have 21st century tools to collaborate, communicate, teach, and report with access to ‘best of breed’ image analytics. Specialists can receive digital consults from remote physicians and patients from across the globe, and investigator-initiated researchers have a research and development platform to develop and apply their algorithms. Corista provides a new level of interoperability for pathology, integrating whole slide image scanning systems, image analytics, and LIS/EHR platforms with a rich, collaborative environment for physicians, patients, biotech, and pharmaceutical scientists. This is Integrated Pathology^™ only from Corista.

About Sakura Finetek USA

With the U.S. office based in Torrance, California, Sakura Finetek is the global leader in continuous innovation for pathology by providing integrated solutions for anatomic pathology and patients through best-in-class innovation, quality and customer care. With a strategic focus on end-to-end automation, Sakura Finetek continues to lead the industry in the development and commercialization of automated histology instrumentation and consumables for anatomic pathology.

Sakura Finetek solutions dramatically increase efficiency, standardize results, and enable pathology laboratories to manage their daily workload more simply while significantly impacting patient care.

For more information, visit Sakuraus.com.

About Visiopharm

Visiopharm® is a leading provider of AI-driven precision pathology software for research and diagnostics. In research, it is a technology leader providing tools that help scientists, pathologists, and image analysis experts produce accurate data for all types of tissue-based research. In diagnostics, it is a leader within clinical applications, with no less than eight diagnostic algorithms cleared under IVDR for EU customers. These applications provide diagnostic decision support and and can be easily activated and integrated into existing lab workflows.

Founded in 2002, Visiopharm is privately owned and operates internationally with over 750 customer accounts in more than 40 countries. The company’s headquarters are located in Denmark’s Medicon Valley, with offices in Sweden, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and local representation in France and China.

Contact: 

Johanne Louise Brændgaard
Chief Marketing Officer
jlb@visiopharm.com

Solution combining first AI-Driven IHC Levey-Jennings software with first quantitative IHC reference materials will enable labs to meet proposed regulatory changes

Visiopharm and Boston Cell Standards today announced a partnership to develop a joint technology solution that enables labs to meet key provisions of regulatory changes proposed in a groundbreaking editorial recently published in Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine.

In a July 2023 Archives online editorial, Dr. Barbarajean Magnani and Dr. Clive Taylor proposed that clinical immunohistochemistry (IHC) quality assurance requirements mirror those of all other clinical laboratory assays. If adopted, the proposal would represent a significant shift in the IHC lab regulatory landscape, requiring labs to incorporate rigorous assay control methods and calibration.

Modern clinical laboratory quality assurance protocols include reference standards, assay calibration, quantitative controls, and standardized units of measure. The Magnani-Taylor editorial highlights their absence from IHC and urges their adoption. Without these enabling tools, different IHC labs can – and often do – return different results from the same sample.

“The higher proposed assay requirements will raise the quality of IHC testing to ensure accurate results, which will benefit pathologists, oncologists and, ultimately, patients,” said Dr. Steven Bogen, CEO, Boston Cell Standards. “However, aligning IHC laboratory testing globally requires that labs have access to enabling quality assurance tools that, until recently, were not available — calibration standards and image analysis quantification software to measure the calibrator test results.”

In light of these potential regulatory changes, Visiopharm and Boston Cell Standards are partnering to integrate IHC calibration standards with image analysis software for quality assurance. Boston Cell Standards pioneered the industry’s first calibration standards. Visiopharm developed Qualitopix™, a groundbreaking AI-driven image analysis software for IHC assay control quantification and tracking (Levey-Jennings analysis). Together, they represent the only commercial system capable of meeting the proposed higher assay regulatory requirements.

“We see an opportunity to integrate our category-defining technologies to drive the higher tier of laboratory performance the proposal seeks,” said Dr. Michael Grunkin, CEO, Visiopharm. “The combination of our two companies’ products represents a traditional instrument analyzer-reagent system. Qualitopix is the instrument and the calibrators/controls are the reagents.” The companies are planning to complete the initial integration and start clinical testing in 2023.

About Visiopharm

Visiopharm® is a leading provider of AI-driven precision pathology software for research and diagnostics. In research, it is a technology leader providing tools that help scientists, pathologists, and image analysis experts produce accurate data for all types of tissue-based research. In diagnostics, it is a leader within clinical applications, with no less than eight diagnostic algorithms cleared under IVDR for EU customers. These applications provide diagnostic decision support and and can be easily activated and integrated into existing lab workflows.

Founded in 2002, Visiopharm is privately owned and operates internationally with over 750 customer accounts in more than 40 countries. The company’s headquarters are located in Denmark’s Medicon Valley, with offices in Sweden, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and local representation in France and China.

About Boston Cell Standards

Boston Cell Standards is the first and only company to develop and manufacture standardized reference materials for the immunohistochemistry industry. Its mission is to improve patient outcomes by ensuring that immunohistochemistry test results are accurate and reproducible regardless of where or when tests are performed. Laboratory reference materials are essential for that purpose.  For more information, please visit http://bostoncellstandards.com/.

Contact: 

Visiopharm:
Johanne Louise Brændgaard
Chief Marketing Officer
jlb@visiopharm.com

Boston Cell Standards:
Sam Choinski
Pazanga Health Communications
schoinski@pazangahealth.com

Visiopharm, a leading innovator in AI-driven Precision Pathology, acknowledges the significance of the recent editorial by Barbarajean Magnani and Clive R. Taylor published in Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, which calls for the regulation of clinical IHC as an assay rather than a stain. The authors highlight the need for more rigorous methods of analytic standardization, the importance of integrating pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytic phases in a total test approach, and the necessity of a shift in mindset from viewing IHC as a stain to treating it as an assay. This is further supported by Dylan Miller in his editorial in the same journal, in which he points out that the CAP IHC resource committee is working to advance these principles, and that new formats and approaches are being explored for future survey.

We fully concur with the urgency of these points, which has also guided Visiopharm’s development of our AI-driven software tools, Qualitopix^TM and Oncotopix^®, over more than a decade. They are developed specifically to address many of these challenges, especially related to the evaluation of reproducibility of the analytical and post-analytical phases.

“The editorial by Magnani and Taylor underscores the critical need for improved quality assurance in IHC. Visiopharm’s development of Qualitopix, a state-of-the-art AI-based software solution that measures day-to-day staining consistency based on standardized and digitized control slides and provides Levey-Jennings plots for Class II IHC, is a significant step towards meeting the need outlined in the editorial”, stated Prof. Mogens Vyberg, Aalborg University, who is on the Scientific Advisory Board of Visiopharm.  The NordiQC IHC proficiency scheme was co-founded by Mogens Vyberg, the former director, and Søren Nielsen, the current director. NordiQC has contributed significantly to standardization of IHC by both the establishment of the proficiency scheme, but also by extended international scientific engagements and collaboration with other IHC stakeholders.

In addition, Oncotopix provides fully automated AI-based decision support for Class II IHC markers, such as ER, PR, HER2, Ki67 and PD-L1. Prof. Ralf Huss, University Hospital Augsburg, a recognized expert in pathology and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of Visiopharm, comments, “Oncotopix’s ability to automate the analysis process and provide comprehensive reports on both the patient-specific analysis and the IHC control represents a major advancement in the field. This tool aligns with the vision expressed in the editorial and has the potential to significantly improve the accuracy and consistency of IHC results, reducing the risk of errors that could impact patient care. Also, such tools can help us avoid unnecessary re-testing and waste of precious material, as well as reduce costs and time in the conventional workflow to cope with limited human resources.”

“As the CEO of Visiopharm, I am proud of our team’s dedication to innovation and quality in the field of AI-driven Precision Pathology. We are committed to addressing the urgent needs that are expressed in the editorial and beyond. We believe that our AI-based tools, Qualitopix and Oncotopix, are essential for improving the quality and reliability of IHC testing, with quantitative quality control being the missing piece in modern biomarker assessment. Combining the precision with spatial information will enable Precision Pathology, and the beginning of a new era of precision oncology. We are very proud to collaborate on this vision with prominent organizations, such as NordiQC and UKNEQAS that both play instrumental roles in upholding standards in this field. Also, we are collaborating with leading providers of standardized and validated controls and calibrators that are used with Qualitopix, and, as pointed out in the editorial by Magnani and Taylor, these calibrators and controls required for day-to-day quality assurance exist already today”, stated Michael Grunkin.

For more information about Qualitopix and Oncotopix, please visit our website or contact our team.

About Visiopharm

Visiopharm® is a leading provider of AI-driven precision pathology software for research and diagnostics. In research, it is a technology leader providing tools that help scientists, pathologists, and image analysis experts produce accurate data for all types of tissue-based research. In diagnostics, it is a leader within clinical applications, with no less than eight diagnostic algorithms cleared under IVDR for EU customers. These applications provide diagnostic decision support and and can be easily activated and integrated into existing lab workflows.

Founded in 2002, Visiopharm is privately owned and operates internationally with over 750 customer accounts in more than 40 countries. The company’s headquarters are located in Denmark’s Medicon Valley, with offices in Sweden, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and local representation in France and China.

Contact: 

Johanne Louise Brændgaard
Chief Marketing Officer
jlb@visiopharm.com

Visiopharm and Minerva Imaging have announced a collaboration on development of sophisticated AI-based image analysis applications in histology. Visiopharm’s AI-driven Oncotopix® platform has the potential to play a crucial role in developing powerful new predictive assays. The main focus within Minerva Imaging will be on targeted radionuclide therapy and immuno-oncology, enabling to gauge the effectiveness of interventions and making data-driven decisions.

Targeted radionuclide therapy

Targeted radionuclide therapy is a form of precision medicine where a radioactive substance is attached to a targeting moiety. It is administered through the body to specifically target cancer cells and irradiate them. The efficacy of these treatments can be determined by the level of radio-induced DNA damage that it causes. In one of the first cooperative projects Minerva and Visiopharm will develop quantitative AI-based image analysis to assess this level of DNA damage.

Carsten H. Nielsen, CEO and co-founder of Minerva Imaging, said:

“Targeted radionuclide therapy has gained a lot of momentum in recent years in the oncology area. We are convinced that the development of powerful and highly accurate AI-based image analysis for determining the level of DNA damage and other aspects of therapeutic efficacy will be very valuable. We are committed to bringing this and a number of other AI-based applications to the market impacting the advancement of new, improved, and lifesaving drugs for seriously ill cancer patients.”

Michael Grunkin, co-founder and CEO of Visiopharm, said:

“We are excited to establish this strategic collaboration with Minerva to accelerate the development of new AI-based histology analysis in oncology. This collaboration will allow us to support an increasingly important precision medicine agenda.”

AI-driven image analysis

AI-driven precision pathology has the potential to play a crucial role in developing powerful new predictive assays. It provides a powerful tool for discovery of new biomarkers through the analysis of multiplexed image data, developing investigational devices for clinical trials, and developing scoring principles for novel tissue biomarkers. Moreover, it can aid in the development of image analysis for standardized and automated reading of increasingly complex biomarkers.

The Minerva-Visiopharm partnership will speed up the development of a toolbox for AI-driven precision pathology, enabling Pharma to accelerate clinical development by improving quantitative and qualitative assessments in hard-to-treat cancers.

About Minerva Imaging

Minerva Imaging is a scientifically driven CRO founded in 2011, and currently counting over 130 employees. The company focuses on the use of advanced models and molecular imaging for translational research and drug development. Minerva Imaging engages with its clients to understand their scientific questions and discuss how its methods and capabilities can provide answers. Minerva worked with over 100 global pharma and biotech companies.

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news updates or visit www.minervaimaging.com for more information.

About Visiopharm

Visiopharm® is a leading provider of AI-driven precision pathology software for research and diagnostics. In research, it is a technology leader providing tools that help scientists, pathologists, and image analysis experts produce accurate data for all types of tissue-based research. In diagnostics, it is a leader within clinical applications, with no less than eight diagnostic algorithms cleared under IVDR for EU and UK customers. These applications provide diagnostic decision support and can be easily activated and integrated into existing lab workflows.

Founded in 2002, Visiopharm is privately owned and operates internationally with over 750 customer accounts in more than 40 countries. The company’s headquarters are located in Denmark’s Medicon Valley, with offices in Sweden, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and local representation in France and China.

Media enquiries

Eske Rygaard-Hjalsted
Senior Business Developer
erh@minervaimaging.com
+45 20 30 22 36

Johanne Louise Brændgaard
Chief Marketing Officer
jlb@visiopharm.com

Visiopharm, a global leader in AI-driven precision pathology software, has joined forces with Grundium, a renowned provider of high-quality imaging solutions for digital pathology, to expand the availability of accessible digital pathology solutions for clinics and laboratories worldwide. Through this partnership, Visiopharm will offer Grundium’s Ocus® scanners alongside its Qualitopix™ solution, enabling labs to automatically upload images for processing. Qualitopix empowers labs to enhance their staining quality and standardization by monitoring staining consistency.

Grundium’s Ocus scanners are well-known for their exceptional image quality, user-friendly design, and compact footprint. Seamlessly integrating with computational pathology applications, these scanners provide an affordable option for accelerating the adoption of pathology AI applications. With a web-based user interface and cloud connectivity, the Ocus scanner portfolio stands out as practical imaging instruments for digital pathology.

Qualitopix combines powerful AI technology with control materials, enabling labs to continuously monitor and document staining consistency over time. By utilising standardized and validated control materials, labs can obtain reliable and actionable insights that help identify staining performance variations. One of the key advantages of Qualitopix is its simplicity, speed, and cost-effectiveness. As a web-based solution, labs can seamlessly incorporate it into their existing workflows, unlocking the benefits of digital pathology without significant implementation efforts. The integration of Grundium’s Ocus scanners enhances the automation of Visiopharm’s Qualitopix™ solution by facilitating the automatic upload of images.

Martin Kristensson, Senior Vice President, Clinical Commercial Strategy at Visiopharm, said:

At Visiopharm, we are constantly seeking ways to help pathology labs standardize their work. Our partnership with Grundium and the integration of the Ocus scanner with our Qualitopix solution offer a powerful combination of high-quality imaging and staining monitoring, providing pathology labs with the necessary tools to gain insights into their daily performance. We are excited to introduce these innovative digital pathology solutions to more clinics and labs worldwide, aiming to make a positive impact on standardization.

Davide D’Incau, Grundium Sales Director, said:  “Breakthroughs in AI and computational pathology will significantly impact the field of pathology. Grundium is dedicated to making these innovations widely accessible to clinicians and labs by providing the most practical imaging instruments for digital pathology in the market. We are thrilled to include the Ocus® scanners as part of Visiopharm’s solutions, starting with Qualitopix.”

About Visiopharm

Visiopharm® is a leading provider of AI-driven precision pathology software for research and diagnostics. In research, it is a technology leader providing tools that help scientists, pathologists, and image analysis experts produce accurate data for all types of tissue-based research. In diagnostics, it is a leader within clinical applications, with no less than eight diagnostic algorithms cleared under IVDR for EU customers. These applications provide diagnostic decision support and and can be easily activated and integrated into existing lab workflows.

Founded in 2002, Visiopharm is privately owned and operates internationally with over 750 customer accounts in more than 40 countries. The company’s headquarters are located in Denmark’s Medicon Valley, with offices in Sweden, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and local representation in France and China.

About Grundium

A global leader in advanced imaging technology, Grundium makes digital pathology and best professional diagnosis available for all life – whether human, animal, plant or other. This is achieved by doing something that nobody else can: applying state-of-the-art mobile technology in digital pathology. Established in 2015 by ex-Nokia engineers, the Tampere-based company is democratizing digital pathology with the Ocus® microscope scanners. The cutting-edge imaging solutions are based on over 20 years of experience in optics, sensors and beautiful high-precision devices. Grundium serves various industries and businesses enhancing quality and processes, protecting human life and safeguarding a clean environment.

Contact: 

Johanne Louise Brændgaard
Chief Marketing Officer
jlb@visiopharm.com

Visiopharm, a leading provider of AI-driven precision pathology software for research and diagnostics, and Agilent Technologies Inc., a world leader in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets, have announced a strategic partnership to provide pharma with advanced and comprehensive solutions to support the acceleration of precision medicine. 

Breakthroughs in immuno-oncology are revolutionizing cancer care with new and promising targeted treatments. That has created a need for robust and reliable patient selection for clinical trials, bringing targeted treatments to market, and optimal treatment decisions. Tissue biomarkers provide valuable spatially resolved information about protein expression in the tumor micro-environment. 

AI-driven precision pathology has the potential to play a crucial role in developing powerful new predictive assays. It provides a powerful tool for discovery of new biomarkers through the analysis of multiplexed image data, developing investigational devices for clinical trials, and developing scoring principles for novel tissue biomarkers. Moreover, it can aid in the development of image analysis for standardized and automated reading of increasingly complex biomarkers. AI-driven precision pathology from Visiopharm can also be used for measuring and managing staining consistency, which is often vital for both clinical trials and decentralized deployment of new predictive assays. 

The Visiopharm-Agilent partnership will provide a toolbox for AI-driven precision pathology, enabling Pharma to accelerate clinical development by improving patient selection in clinical testing and ultimately supporting diagnostic applications through AI-driven, standardized decision support  biomarker expression. The partnership also provides solutions for monitoring staining consistency in clinical development and clinical practice, further supporting biomarker standardization. 

Michael Grunkin, CEO, Visiopharm, said: “We are excited to strengthen our strategic collaboration with Agilent to accelerate the development of new drug-diagnostic assays. This global collaboration will allow us to support an increasingly important precision medicine agenda.” 

Paul Beresford, VP/GM, Companion Diagnostics, Agilent, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Visiopharm in providing advanced digital pathology and AI-based solutions to accelerate biomarker discovery and clinical development. Together, we are committed to enabling pharma to bring innovative and tailored treatments to patients faster, ultimately advancing precision medicine.” 

The partnership expands upon the existing relationship between Visiopharm and Agilent, who have been collaborating on the development of several quantitative IVD APPs and announced a worldwide distribution agreement. 

About Visiopharm

Visiopharm® is a leading provider of AI-driven precision pathology software for research and diagnostics. In research, it is a technology leader providing tools that help scientists, pathologists, and image analysis experts produce accurate data for all types of tissue-based research. In diagnostics, it is a leader within clinical applications, with no less than eight diagnostic algorithms cleared under IVDR for EU customers. These applications provide diagnostic decision support and and can be easily activated and integrated into existing lab workflows.

Founded in 2002, Visiopharm is privately owned and operates internationally with over 750 customer accounts in more than 40 countries. The company’s headquarters are located in Denmark’s Medicon Valley, with offices in Sweden, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and local representation in France and China.

Contact: 

Johanne Louise Brændgaard
Chief Marketing Officer
jlb@visiopharm.com